Press and clutch therefor



Jan. 23, 1940. R. SONNENBERG PRESS AND CLUTCH THEREFOR Filed Jan. 26, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet Jan. 23, 1940, R. SQNNENBERG 4 PRESS'AND CLUTCH THEREFOR Filed Jan. 26, 1938 s Sheets-Sheet 2 92 96' 97 Jan. 23, 1940. R. SONNENBERG PRESS AND CLUTCH THEREFOR Filed Jan. 26, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Jan. 23, 1940 PRESS AND CLUTCH THEREFOR l Rudolph Sonnenberg, Belvidere, 111.,assign0r to I i 'Mid West-BottleCap 00., Belvidere, Ill.,a cor-j a. I

poration of Illinois Application January 26, 1938, Serial No. 186,999 7 16 Claims.

This invention relates to punchpresses of the type used in the forming of paper bottle caps and the like and to the combination therein of improved overload mechanism.

In the operation ofpresses-of the character used inthe forming of paper articles such as bottle capsand the like using high pressure and heavy paper stock and in analogous uses of such presses, considerable difficulty is encountered because of failure or improper operation of the mechanism for removing the formed piece from the dies. This is particularly aggravated when the object is of complicated configuration requiring compound dies which tend to produce difficulty in removing the object. Furthermore,

- when the object is formed from paper stock there is not only the tendency for the object to stick in the dies, but care must be taken in the removal of the object in order to preventdamage thereto. In the making of bottle caps, for example, a formed cap will occasionally stick in the die, and

when automatic feeding mechanism is employed,

a second blank will be fed into the dies. Because of the high pressures andthe small tolerances, the machine is thus damaged in some part when the dies come together. Sometimes the shaft is bent, other times the dies are damaged,

and occasionally the frame of. the machine'is broken. These accidents are obviously costly and greatly interfere with smooth and uniform production. In order to avoid the accidents to as great an extent as possible, the presses are run at low speeds in order to render the feeding and the ejecting rnechanism'as positive in operation as possible, and also to permit of'stopping the machine before the damage has gone too far. Thus -thernachines are conventionally operated at far below their full capacitybecause of the extreme damage done by the occasional failure of the feeding or eiecting mechanism. a

An important object of the invention is the provision ofa high speed forming press wherein the transmission of power to the dies is instantly terminated when the normal forming pressure between the dies is greatly exceeded'for the purpose of preventing damage to thedies or other parts of the machine.

Another object of the invention is the provi-.

sion of a high speed forming press .for paper bottle caps wherein the paper blanks are auto matically fed into the dies and are automatically removed therefrom, and wherein means, are provided for interrupting the power supl ly. to the dies in case a secondblank is fed into the dies prior to the ejection of the preceding cap or, in

position. H I v The invention contemplates apress havinga case two or more blanks are simultaneously fed into the dies, and the power supply remains disconnected until manually reconnected. I I have also aimed to provide a high speed form'- ing press" driven through a flywheel wherein an iii overload release clut'chis interposed between the flywheel and the primary drivingshaft of the press for the. purpose ofdisconnec'ting the power supply tothe dies of the press in case the'pres- 10 sure between the dies becomes excessive.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an overload release clutch of novel structure and characteristics. g

A still further object of thefinvention is the provision of a clutch mechanism including. a

manually en'gageable and disengageable clutch member driven from an overload release clutch adapted to automatically disengage" in response to excessive driving force, and adapted toremain in thereleased position until manually actuated for re-engagement. I p

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description andthe accompanying drawingsin which-' a Fig. 1 is an-elevation-of capforining press embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the hub of the flywheel, the end of the "primary driving shaft and the clutch mechanism showing the clutch in the engaged position;

Fig 3 is a fragmentary, view similar to Fig. 2 showing the loverloadclutch in the disengaged position I Fig. 4 is a view along the line of Fig. 2

Showing fragmentary spaced sections transVerse- 1y through the clutch'mechanism, and

Fig. 5 is" a fragmentary face view of the cam plate and clutch latches, the cover being in, sec

tion, showing the platemoved to the releasing conventional frame structure including legsdesignatedgenerally by the'numeral 6 and spaceduprights '1 and 8. A primary drive shaft 9 is posiend of the uprights l and 8. The shaft 9 isdriven" by means ofa belt 13 trained over a flywheel pulley M as is common in the art. Carried on the Shaft 9 between the uprights l and S are cams 15,

a high speed bottle tioned in bearings l i Iand- 12 adjacent the. upper xis l5. and ll arranged to. actuate a reciprocating 5o compound die designated generally by the nu eral l8. 1 In this instance the die I8 is shaped and arranged. to cooperate with a lower die in the .forming of a paper milk bottle cap. On one end of the shaft 9 is .a quarter-turn gear 19 adapted.

to mesh with a second quarter-turn gear 2| carlower section of a compound die located in the bore 58. portion of the bore 51 as shown at 12 is in the proximity to the plane of the table 34 and cooperable with the upper portion l8 of the die. The shaft 25 carries a sprocket 35 over which is trained a chain 36 adaptedto drive a blank or disk feeding mechanism 31, the latter having a vertical tube 38 adapted to hold a supply of paper disks 99 to be fed into position between the upper and lower portions of the die. The specific form .of the disk feeding mechanism forms no part of the invention but is so arranged as to feed a single disk between the die sections on each reciprocation of the primary drive shaft 9, or in other words,. upon each die operation. An air supply pipe 4| terminates in a jet adjacent the die, the air supply being controlled in response to rotation of the shaft 22 so as to blow the formed cap out of the die as the die sections separate, and in this manner eject the cap from the dies. A hand actuated lever 42 is secured to the frame and has a'rod 43 for rotating a pivotally supported catch 44 having a finger 45 adapted to engage an arm portion 45 of a manually operated clutch presently to be described, for engaging and disengaging the drive connection between the flywheel 4 and the primary drive shaft 9.

Referring now more particularly to the clutch mechanism shown to best advantage in Fig. 2, the numeral 41 designates the hub of the flywheel l4. Positionedwithin the hub 41 and having a running fit with respect thereto is a sleeve 48 having an end flange 49 adapted to abut against the edge of the hub. Positioned withinthe sleeve 48 and keyed thereto by'means of a key 5| are bearing sleeves 52 and 59 within which the end of the shaft 9 is received with a running fit. In this instance theend 54 of the shaft 9 is of slightly smaller diameter than the main body of the shaft, and the sleeve 52 is of slightly lesser internal diameter to bear against the portion 54. A

sleeve 55 is positioned on the shaftfl and fills the space between the shaft and the sleeve 53, rotating with the shaft. Means are provided for clutching and declutching the shaft 9 with respect to the sleeve 52. This includes a pin designated generally by the numeral 59 seated in a bore 51 and counterbores 58 and 59 of the shaft 9. The pin has enlarged cylindrical bearing portions 5! and 62 seated in the spaced counterbores 58 and 59 and an intermediate portion 53 approaching half-roundness in cross-sectional shape, as shown in Fig. 4. As will be noted from Fig. 4, the bore 51 and counterbores 58 and 59 are positioned on the dividing line. between the shaft portion 54 and the sleeve 52. The bearing portion 52 is retained in position by the sleeve 53 while the bearing portion 5| is retained in position by the tubular side walls 64 of a cap 65 secured in position over the end of the shaft 9 by a cap screw 56. The end of the pin 55 has a transverse slot 51 adapted to receive one end of a spring 68, the opposite end of which is received in a transverse slot 69 of a plug 1| in the end of It will be seen from Fig. 4 that one shaft 54 while the other portion thereof indicated at 13 is positioned in the sleeve 52. The central portion 63 of the pin is so shaped that when rotated to the position shown in Fig. 4 a part of the pin rests in the bore portion 12 and another portion of the pin in the bore portion 13 thereby establishing driving connection between the sleeve and the shaft. However, upon rotation of the arm portion 46 the pin is rotated until the portion 63 thereof lies entirely within the portion 12 of the bore and so that the free side of the portion 53 is flush with the outer surface of the shaft portion 54, thereby permitting relative rotation between the sleeve 52 and the shaft portion 54. The bore portion 13 is duplicated at spaced intervals around the inner surface of the sleeve 52 as shown at 14 and 15. The spring-58 serves to normally hold the pin in the engaged position as shown in Fig. 4, but upon rotation of the lever 42 of the press the finger 45 of the catch 44 engages against the clutch arm 46 causing rotation of the pin 58 to the disengaged position. Thus, through the instrumentalities just described, the shaft 9 is manually clutched and declutched to the sleeve 48.

A second clutch is provided between the sleeve 48 and the hub 41 of the flywheel, which clutch is adapted to be automatically disengaged inresponse to overload in the press and is adapted to either automatically're-engage in response to decrease in the overload or to remain in the disengaged position until manually released. This clutch includes a manually movable clutch member 16 keyed to the sleeve 48 by means of keys 11- This movable clutch member is in the form of a ring extending annularly of the 7 sleeve 48. Positioned on the clutch member 16 is an annular hardened ring 18 having annularly spaced teeth or cams 19 thereon adapted to interfit and engage with similar teeth 8| on a hardened ring 82 secured to the hub 41 of the flywheel. Cap screws 83 serve to secure the clutch rings to their respective supports. Spaced annularly of the movable clutch member 16 are bores 84, each adapted to receive a spring 85 of sufiicient length to bear against the bottom of the bore and project from the open end thereof. Positioned to bear against the ends of the springs 85 is an annular disk 86 urgedagainst the springs to tension the same by means of nuts 81 threaded onto the end of the sleeve 48, the two nuts acting as lock nuts and having openings 88 adapted for the reception of a spanner wrench, pin or the like for adjusting the position of the nuts. The position of these nuts determines the pressure with which the rings 18 and 82 will be urged together, and consequently the force required to separate the rings by cam action between opposed edges 89 and 9| of the ring teeth 19 and 8|. In this particular instance the edges 89 and 9| are at an angle of 45 with respect to the ends, but this may be varied depending upon the power to be transmitted. A cover 92 is attached to the clutch member 16 and extends annularly thereof to a point beyond the end of the sleeve 48 to enclose the described clutch mechanism.

In many instances the clutch mechanism is complete at this point, in which case the clutch will automatically disengage and engage in re-.

. command wheelzl' l to 'rota-tewith respect to the sleeve 48. The springs 85 will tendto'cause the teeth 7-9 to move into the next engaging posit-ionwi-th respect to the teeth 8 l but the fact that the sleeve {Mlfis stopped and the flywheel is traveling at a relatively high ratepof speed will prevent suchenig'a'gement. The clutch does, however, create unthese circumstances a considerable'amount of noise. Under some circumstances the production of the sound is desirable in thatit produces an audible warningof press diflicult'i'es such as to i immediate attention. I have arranged, however, to provide means for maintaining the clutch element It in the disengaged position when automatically moved thereto as heretofore described. This consists of an end plate so secured by means of countersunk screws the latched position.

In order to disengage the latches I have provided a cam plate llllpositioned against the V outer face of the end plate 93 concentrically with respect thereto by means of screws I02 which pass through slots I03 in the cam plate to permit of rotation of the cam plate about the center thereof. A spring lfi iacts between a lug I05 on the end plate 93 and a" lug IE6 on the cam plate normally urging the cam plate in a clockwise direction facing Fig. 4. The periphery of the cam plate Hll is provided with cams H11 opposite each er the latch members 9?, the cams engaging the ends 98 of the latch members when rotated in a cou-nter clockwise direction against the tension of thespring HM, as shown in Fig. 5, in order to force the latch members outward out of engagement with the end plate 93. The cam plate is provided with spaced openings I08 on its outer surface adapted for engagement by a spanner wrench I09 for manual rotation of the cam plate as shown in Fig. '5 to release the clutch.

It will be seen that I have provided a press having novel characteristics andisuitable for use in the formation of paper. articles wherein failure or faulty operation of the feeding or ejecting mechanism does not damage the press or the dies,

"andwherein the press is automatically inter jrupted untilsuch time as the condition between -the dies is corrected; in otherwords, until the dies are backed'up andthe excess material is removed from between the die parts. This protects the press from the damage whichhas been, common in the past and permits otmuch higher speed operation. In the forming of bottle caps I have found that the speed of operation of the presses maybe increased as much as 300% and more by constructing the presses in the manner herein described, and that upon. failure of the ejecting mechanism, no damage occurs to the press. In so doing, I have provided an overload plot-ch inaddition to the standard clutch mechanisms commonly employed in machines of this character.

I have also provided 'andinproved form of (overload clutch which is very sensitive in operation and which may be arranged either to remain disengaged or to automatically return t'o engagement upon removal of the: overload, and when operated in the latter fashion, serves to emit an audible and commanding signal as to its condition. 3

While I have thus "desc i-bedand illustrated a I specific embodiment of the invention I am aware that numerous alterations and changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit or the invention, and i do not wish to be limited 4 except as required by the prior art and the scope of the appended claims, in which I claimz n =1. The combination in a press of a die, a shaft for reciprocating said die, a flywheel for driving said shaft, and two clutches between the shaft. and the flywhe'elfoneof said clutches beingman ually operable'between engaged and disengaged positions, and the other of said clutches being an overload clutch movable tothe disengaged posrtion in response to a predetermined excess in pressure on said die to release said flywheel from driving connection with said shaft.

12. ime combination in a press of a die, a shaft .iorreciprocating said die, a flywheel for driving shatft, two clutch-es between the shaft and the flywheel, one of said -'clo.tches being manually operable between engaged and disengaged poshtions, and the other of said clutches being an overload clutchm'ovable to the disengaged position in response to :a predetermined excess in 4 pressure on 'saiddie 'to'rele'ase said flywheel from driving connection-with said shaft, means for latching said last mentioned clutch in the disengaged positicnzand manually operable means for releasing said clutch means. i

3. The com'binaticnin an overload clutch of a driving and a drivennremb'er, a clutch element fixedly carried on one of said members, a movable clutch element carriedon the other of said 1 members for movement'toward and awayfrom ego the first meritioned'clut'ch element, said clutch elements having interfitting cam means to normally establish" driving connection therebetwee'n shaped to move said movable clutch element through cam action to adisengaged position at a r45 predetermined oint of power transmission therebetween, spring means for urging said cam means into interfitting relation, and means operative in response to said disengaging movement of the clutch element for latching the movableogo clutch member in said disengaged position.

4. The combination in an overload clutch of a driving and a driven member, a clutch element fixedly carried on one of said members,'a movable clutch element carried on the other of saids55 members for movement toward and away from the first mentioned clutch element, said clutch elements having interiitt'ing cam means to normally establish driving connection therebetween shapedto move said movable clutch element"!!! through cam action to a disengaged position at a predetermined pointof power transmissiontherr between, spring means for urging said cam means into interfitting relation, means for latching the movable clutch member in said disengagedposition i-n response to said cam movement of said clutch element, and means for manually releasing said latch means. Y i 5. The combination in an overload clutch of a driving and a driven member positioned to rotatefli) f on the same axis, a clutch element for transmitting power between said'member's supported annularly of and slidable longitudinally of oneof said members, clutch rings on said element and.

the other of said elements of equal radius andcon- W5 centric with the axis of rotation, said rings having interfitting cam means for transmitting rotation therebetween and shaped to move said element and attached ring through cam action to a disengaged position at a predetermined point of power transmission therebetween, spring means actinglongitudinally of said shaft between said element and its supporting member for urging said cam means together, and means on said last mentioned member for adjusting the compression on said spring means.

6. The combination in an overload clutch of a driving and a driven member positioned to rotate on the same axis, a clutch element-for transmitting power between said members supported annularly of and slidable longitudinallyof one of said members, clutch rings on said element and the other of said elements of equal radius and concentric with the axis of rotation, said rings having interfitting cam means for transmitting rotation therebetween and shaped to move said element and attached ring through cam action to a disengaged position at a predetermined point of power transmission therebetween, spring means acting between said element and its supporting member for urging said cam means together, means on said last mentioned member for adjusting the compression on said spring means, and latch means acting between the element and its supporting member in response to movement of the element for securing the element in disengaged position.

'7. The combination in an overload clutch of a driving and a driven member positioned to rotate on the same axis, a clutch element for transmitting .power between said members supported annularly of and slidable longitudinally of one of said members, clutch rings on said element and the other of said members of equal radius and concentric with the axis of rotation, said rings :having interfitting cam means for transmitting rotation therebetween and shaped to move said element and attached ring through cam action to a disengaged position at a predetermined point of power transmission therebetween, spring means acting between said element and its supporting member for urging said cam means together, means on said lastmentioned member for adjusting the compression on said spring means, latch means acting between the element and its supporting member in response to movement of the element for securing the element in disengaged position, and manually operable means on said last mentioned member for releasing said latch means.

8. The combination in an overload clutch of concentric driving and driven members, the inner one of said members projecting beyond the other, a clutch elementfor transmitting power between said members keyed to the inner member and movable longitudinally thereon between engaged and disengaged positions, interfitting cam means positioned annularly of said element and the outer member for transmitting rotation there- 'between and shaped to move said element through cam action to the disengaged position at longitudinally on said inner member for engagement of said cam means, and means operable for compressing said springs to any selected degree to urge the element into the engaged position one of said members projecting beyond the other, 5

a clutch element for transmitting power between said members keyed to the inner member and movable longitudinally thereon betweenengaged and disengaged positions, interfitting cam means positioned annularly of said element and the l0 outer member for transmitting rotation therebetween and shaped to move said element through cam action to the disengaged position at a predetermined degree of power transmission therebetween, a plurality of coiled springs spaced annularly of said element, means for compressing said springs-to urge the element into the engaged position comprising nuts threaded onto said inner member.

10. The combination in an overload clutch of a driving and a driven member, a clutch element fixedly carried on one of said members, a movable clutch element carried on the other of said members for movement toward and away from the first mentioned clutch element, said clutch elements having interfitting cam means to nor- ,mally establish driving connection therebetween shaped to move said movable clutch element through cam action to a disengaged position at a predetermined point of power transmission therebetween, spring means for urging said cam means into interfitting relation, means for adjusting the tension of said spring means comprising nuts threaded onto said inner member,

and means for releasably latching said element 455 in the disengaged position comprising a plate secured to said inner member, spring pressed latches acting between said element and said plate, and manually operable means for releasing said latches.

11. The combination'in a clutch mechanism of a driven shaft, a sleeve carried on said shaft for free rotation with respect thereto, manually operated clutch means disposed between the shaft and said sleeve to establish driving connection therebetween, a driving member positioned on said sleeve for free rotation with respect thereto, and an overload clutch operative between said sleeve and said driving member to disengage said sleeve therefrom in response to the transmission of a predetermined driving pressure.

,12. The combination in a clutch mechanism of a driven shaft, a sleeve carried on said shaft for free rotation with respect thereto, manually operated clutch means disposed between the shaft and said sleeve to establish driving connection therebetween, a pulley having a hub carried on said sleeve for free rotation with respect thereto, cam means fixed to one edge of said hub,

cam means slidable longitudinally on said sleeve m to engage and disengage the cam means on said hub to establish driving connection between the pulley and the sleeve, said cam means being shaped to move out of engagement under predetermined pressure, and spring means for urging said last mentioned cam means into engage ment. i

13, The combination in a clutch mechanism of a driven shaft, a sleeve carried on said shaft for free rotation with respect thereto, manu- 7O ally operated clutch means disposed between the shaft and said sleeve to establish driving connection therebetweema pulley havinga hub carried on said sleeve for free rotation'with resbectthereto, cam means fixed to one edge of under predetermined pressure, spring-means for urging said last mentioned cammeans into en-; gagement, and means operative in responseto said cam movement to latch the last mentioned cam means out of engagement.

1 The combination in a clutch mechanism' ,"of a driven shaft, a sleeve carried on said shaft for free rotation with respect thereto, manually operatedclutch-means disposed between the shaft and said sleeve to establish driving connection therebetween, a pulley having a hub carried on said sleeve for free "rotation with {respect thereto, cam means fixed toone edge'of said hub, cam means slidable longitudinally on said sleeve to engage and disengage the cam means on said'hub to establish driving connectionbetween the pulley and the sleeve, said cam meansbeing shaped to move out of engagement under predetermined pressure, spring means for urging said last mentioned cam means into engagement, means operative in response to said cam movement to latch the last mentioned cam means out of engagement, and manually operative means for releasing said latch means.

15. The combination in a clutch mechanism of concentric driving and driven members, the inner one of said members projecting beyond the other, a clutch element positioned annularly upon'the projecting end of said inner member for vfree longitudinal movement but keyed thereto to prevent relative rotational movement thereon, interfitting cam means on the outer of said members and on said clutch element for transmitting rotation therebetween and shaped to move said element through cam action to a disengaged pol- -sition at a predetermined degree of power tran's mission'therebetw'een, spring means for urging" said cam means into engagement, spring" pressed latch means spaced annularly on said clutch element, means on the end of said inner member for engagement by said latch members when said element is moved to the disengaged position, to

latch said element in said position, and means on said inner member manually operable for releasing said latch means. I

16. The combination in aiclutch mechanism of concentric driving and driven members, the

inner one of said members projecting beyondthe other, a clutch element'positioned annularly upon the projecting end of said inner member for free longitudinal movement but keyed therer to to prevent relative rotational movement thereon,- interfitting cam means on the outer of'said members and onsaid clutch element" for transmitting rotation therebetween and'shaped to,

move said element through cam action to a disengaged position at a predetermined degree of power transmission therebetween, spring means for urging said cam means" into engagement,

spring pressed latch meansv spaced annularly. on

said clutch element, a plate positioned on the end of said inner member having anedge for ment occupies its engaged position for mainengagement of said latch means when said ele:

,taining the latches in unlatched position and for v engagement by said latch means when said element is moved to its disengaged position, and a cam means positioned onsaid plate manually operable to simultaneously, release all of said latch means. v

' RUDOLPH SONNENBERG. 

